JPH0333903A - Transfer positioning method for unmanned carrier system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely perform transfer positioning by moving and positioning a transfer machine provided at a transfer station based on the detection result of a relative position with a carrier after the carrier stops at the front of the transfer station. CONSTITUTION:The unmanned carrier system is comprised of the carrier 2 that self-travels along a travelling path 4 and automatically stops at a prescribed position, and the transfer station 1 provided facing with one side of the carrier. At the station 1, a guide rail 10 and the transfer machine 12 movable with a transfer arm 16 are provided in directions [(x) and (y) directions] in parallel and intersecting orthogonally with the travelling path 4. At a side opposite to the rail 10, a sensor stand 6 equipped with a position sensor is provided. In such constitution, the carrier 2 is detected first with the sensor of the stand 6, and it is moved to a preset position corresponding to a detectable range. Next, the positions of the transfer machine 12 in the directions of (x) and (y) with the sensor of the stand 6, and the positioning can be exactly completed by moving the machine corresponding to the detection result.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention provides an automatic guided vehicle that travels along a preset travel route and stops at a predetermined position on the travel route, and an automatic guided vehicle that is installed at this stop position. The present invention relates to a transfer positioning method in an unmanned conveyance system for transferring a conveyed object between a transfer station and a transfer station.

[Prior art]

An unmanned transport system that runs a transport vehicle 884 times between multiple transfer stations appropriately installed in a facility such as a factory, and transports objects into and out of each transfer station.
It is essential in the configuration of FA (Factory Automation).

The conveyance vehicle in such an unmanned conveyance system is guided by a sign formed using, for example, light or magnetic lines of force on the travel route set between each transfer station, and
While recognizing its own travel distance from the rotation speed of the running wheels, etc., it travels according to instructions from the host control computer, automatically stops in front of a designated transfer station, and transports between the stations. Transfer goods. This transfer is carried out by moving the transfer machine equipped at the transfer station towards the transport vehicle that has stopped in front of the transfer station. In order to achieve this, some devices are equipped with a plurality of loading tables for conveyed objects in the direction of travel.In order to cope with such cases, the transfer device is designed not only in the direction toward the conveyance vehicle but also in this direction. It is also movable in the direction in which the mounting tables are arranged in parallel, which is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the mounting table. This transfer machine is, for example, equipped with a trolley that moves in a direction parallel to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle on the transfer station, that is, in the direction in which the loading tables are arranged side by side, and is attached to the trolley (toward the general transport vehicle). After the carrier stops in front of the transfer station, the carrier is moved to a predetermined position corresponding to each mounting table of the carrier, and then the carrier is equipped with an extendable transfer arm. By extending the transfer arm toward the mounting table,
It is configured to transfer objects to and from each mounting table.

Now, the positioning accuracy during transfer in such an unmanned transport system depends on the stopping position accuracy of the transport vehicle. The conveyance vehicle is stopped, for example, in response to the detection of a stop sign formed using light, magnetic lines, etc. in front of each transfer station. However, after the transport vehicle starts stopping due to the detection of a stop sign, the distance it travels until it actually stops is affected by inertia, and this inertia is affected by the speed before the stop and the load. It is difficult to achieve high accuracy in the stopping position of the transport vehicle because it differs depending on the presence or absence of the transport vehicle. The stop positioning error that occurs in this way causes the generation of dust due to sliding contact between a part of the transferred grain and the transported object when the transport vehicle and the transfer machine handle the transported object. This is an important problem in unmanned transportation systems used in clean rooms of semiconductor manufacturing equipment where high cleanliness is required in the surrounding environment.

Therefore, in the past, the loading table for the transferred items on the conveying vehicle was configured to be movable in a horizontal plane, and even if an error occurred in the stopping position of the conveying vehicle, the loading table could be moved to improve the relative position between the transfer station and the transfer station. An unmanned transportation system has been proposed that allows correction of the physical positional relationship. To do this, based on the detection results of the relative positional relationship between the transfer station and the transport vehicle after the transfer station has stopped, a drive device mounted on the transport vehicle is operated to move the loading platform in two directions orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-284608), and a mounting table that can be moved by the action of an external force (floating table). is provided on the transport vehicle, and a guide section is provided at the transfer station, and the movement of the mounting table that occurs due to contact between the mounting table and the guide section when the transport vehicle is stopped,
There is a Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 138006/1983, which is constructed so that correction of relative position is performed passively.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the former configuration, the drive system of the mounting table is mounted on the transport vehicle, which complicates the structure of the transport vehicle, increases the weight of the transport vehicle, increases the size of the driving motor, and requires power supply for the motor. However, this method has the drawback of increasing the battery capacity. In addition, in the latter configuration, although the structure of the transport vehicle is somewhat simplified, there is a risk that dust may be generated due to contact between the mounting table and the guide section, and the impact caused by the contact may damage the transport on the mounting table. Objects may move, and in this case, even after the loading table has been correctly positioned with respect to the transfer station, there is a risk of contact between the two when picking up the transported item on the loading table with the transfer machine. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to apply it as an unmanned transportation system in a clean room.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to correct the deviation of the stop position without causing a large structural change on the transport vehicle side, and to improve the transfer of transported objects between the transport vehicle and the transfer station. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for positioning transfer of an unmanned conveyance system that enables reliable loading.

[Means to solve the problem]

A transfer positioning method for an unmanned transport system according to the present invention includes a transport vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route and automatically stops at a predetermined stop position on the route, and a transport vehicle that faces one side of the transport vehicle. a transfer station installed at each stop position, and a transfer machine equipped with a transfer station that can move freely in two directions parallel and orthogonal to the traveling route, and transfers the transported object between the two. A position detection means is provided for detecting the appropriateness of the relative position of the transfer machine with respect to the transport vehicle in each of the two directions, and a predetermined position is set according to the detectable range by the position detection means. After the transfer machine is moved to a certain position, the process of moving and positioning the transfer machine based on the detection result of the position detecting means is performed in each of the two directions. .

[Effect]

In the present invention, the transfer station is equipped so as to be movable in the direction along the traveling route of the carrier and in the direction perpendicular thereto, in order to transfer the load to each of the plurality of loading tables on the carrier. By operating the transfer machine based on the detection result of the relative positional relationship between it and the transport vehicle,
The relative position error between the transfer machine and the transported object that occurs during transfer due to the stop position error of the transport vehicle is corrected.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an implementation state of the transfer and positioning method for an unmanned transportation system according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the method of the present invention), and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the implementation state of the method of the present invention. It is a front view.

In the figure, 1 indicates one of a plurality of transfer stations installed as appropriate in facilities such as factories, and 2 indicates the transfer of goods 3 between this transfer station 1. A transport vehicle is shown traveling toward the transfer station 1 for loading. This carrier 2 has a plurality of transfer stations 1. 1... It travels by itself by the operation of a travel drive system (not shown) along a travel route 4 formed by optical or magnetic markers in between, and stops in front of a predetermined transfer station 1. It is used to transfer objects to and from the loading station 1. The traveling and stopping of the transport vehicle 2 is performed according to commands given from a higher-level control computer 5 to a communication device (not shown) built into the transport vehicle 2.

The transfer station 1 includes a guide rail 10 extending parallel to the floor surface on the side of the traveling route 4-, and a guide rail 10 extending sufficiently upward from the traveling position of the transport vehicle 2 in a manner along the guide rail 10. It is equipped with a loading shelf 11 and a transfer machine 12 that transfers a conveyed object between the loading shelf 11 and a stopped transport vehicle 2 as described later.On the opposite side of the guide rail 10, Sensor stands 6 are installed along the travel route 4 for mounting various sensors that will be described later and are necessary for carrying out the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the transfer machine 12. This figure and the first
．． As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer machine 12 includes a cart 13 that moves on guide rails 10 while being guided by the cart 13, and an elevating and lowering cart 13 that is erected vertically on the side facing the carrier 2 of the cart 13. A guide section 14 and an elevator 1 that ascends and descends along the elevating guide section 14
5, a transfer arm 16 that is mounted on the elevator 15 and expands and contracts in a direction perpendicular to the travel path 4, and a transfer fork 17 that is fixed to the tip of the transfer arm. In the transfer machine 12 configured in this way, the transfer fork 17 that performs the actual transfer operation between the transport vehicle 2 and the transport vehicle 2 moves in the direction along the travel path 4 of the transport vehicle 2 as the trolley 13 moves. death,
Furthermore, the transfer arm 16 moves in a direction perpendicular to the travel path 4, that is, in a direction approaching or moving away from the transport vehicle 2, by extending and contracting the transfer arm 16. In other words, the transfer [12] is movable in two directions perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane.For the sake of simplifying the explanation, the direction along the travel route 4 will be taken as the X-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the travel route 4 will be taken as the Y-axis direction. As the axial direction, each positive direction is defined as shown by arrows in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Further, the transfer fork 17 is moved up and down by the lifting/lowering operation of the elevator 15, and the transfer fork 17 is moved up and down by the lifting/lowering operation of the elevator 15, and the transfer fork 17
Receiving and passing is done by this vertical movement.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the transport vehicle 2. FIG. As shown in this figure and FIG. It is provided with a plurality of (three in this embodiment) mounting tables 21, 21, 21 arranged in parallel in the traveling direction and for loading the objects 3 to be transported. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the transfer machine 12 from the installation side, and as shown, the positive directions of the X-axis and Y-axis are reversed.

At the center of the front upper surface of the main body 20 in the Y-axis direction, there is a stop position iii used for determining the suitability of the stop position of the transport vehicle 2.
A recognition mirror 30 is fixedly installed with its mirror surface horizontal. As shown in FIG. 1, a stop position confirmation mirror 30 is similarly fixed at the rear of the conveyance vehicle 2, and the judgment of the suitability of the stop position is made by using these stop position confirmation mirrors 30, 30, The following operation is performed using stop position sensors 60, 60 attached to the sensor stand 6 in correspondence with these. The stop position sensors 60, 60 are the first. As shown in FIG.
It is installed correctly aligned with the center line of travel route 4,
It is aligned with the center position of the stop position confirmation mirror 30, 30 in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the mounting position of the stop position sensors 60, 60 in the X-axis direction is as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 30.30, respectively, to align with the center position in the X-axis direction. Stop position sensor 6
0 has a built-in light emitter that emits light with excellent directivity, such as a laser beam, vertically downward, and a light receiver that receives propagating light from vertically downward, and outputs a signal corresponding to the received light level. The configuration is such that the information is transmitted to the control computer 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control computer 5 is equipped with a stop position confirmation mirror 30 on the optical path of the light emitted from the stop position sensor 60, and the light emitted from the sensor 60 is substantially totally reflected. When the light reception level of the stop position sensor 60 becomes large, it is recognized that the conveyance vehicle 2 has stopped within a predetermined allowable range from the normal stop position.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the stop position confirmation mirror 30. The stop position (111-certified mirror 30 is a mirror-finished stainless steel plate covered with a cover plate whose surface is matte-painted and has a rectangular hole of a predetermined size in the center, and a mirror surface 30a made of the stainless steel plate surface. A non-reflective surface 30b of a predetermined width made of the surface of the lid plate is formed on the periphery of the cover plate.Since the suitability of the stop position of the public transportation vehicle 2 is judged as described above, as shown in the figure, a mirror surface 30b is formed. If the width of 30a in the X-axis direction is A and the width in the Y-axis direction is B, the amount of deviation from the normal stop position is within the range of ±A/2 in the X-axis direction and ±8/2 in the Y-axis direction. , the stop position of the guided vehicle 2 is determined to be appropriate.The above A and B are set based on the stop position accuracy that can be achieved by the guided vehicle 2, but these are determined based on the driving performance. If it is determined that it is not appropriate, it can be easily corrected by changing the size of the rectangular hole in the cover plate.

Further, the main body 20 of the transport vehicle 2 is provided with a positioning ξ 3L3L31 used for positioning the transfer in the X-axis direction. These are fixed to the side surface of the main body 20 facing the transfer machine 12 with a vertical mirror surface, and their center positions in the X-axis direction are at the center positions of the mounting tables 21 and 2L21, respectively. It is consistent. When transferring the transported object 3 on each mounting table 21, the positioning mirror 31 corresponding to the mounting table 21 and the transfer position sensor 61 fixed on the trolley 13 of the transfer machine 12 are used. , the suitability of the transfer position is determined as follows.

The transfer position sensor 61 is used for the positioning process.
31 in the height direction, and as shown in FIG.
It is attached to the axial center position of the transfer arm 16 of the transfer machine 12, aligned correctly in the X-axis direction, and directs light with excellent directivity such as laser light in the positive direction of the Y-axis, that is, on the traveling path 4 side. It has a built-in light emitter that emits light almost horizontally toward the light emitting device, and a light receiver that receives light propagating in the opposite direction, and transmits a signal corresponding to the light reception level by the light receiver to the control computer 5. It has become. As shown in FIG. When the emitted light is substantially totally reflected and the light reception level of the sensor 61 becomes high,
It is determined that the relative positional relationship between any of the mounting tables 21 on the transport vehicle 2 and the transfer machine 12 is appropriate in the X-axis direction.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the positioning mirror 31. The positioning unit 31 is operated by the stop position confirmation unit 30.
Similarly, a mirror-finished stainless steel plate is covered with a lid plate that has a matte-coated surface and has a narrow slit-shaped opening, and a width measuring plate made of the surface of the stainless steel plate is located at the center in the X-axis direction. A wide non-reflective surface 31b made of the surface of the lid plate is formed on the periphery of the mirror surface 31a. The total width of the non-reflection surface 31b is greater than or equal to the A dimension.

When determining the suitability of the transfer position in the X-axis direction as described above based on the level of the reflected light from the positioning mirror 31 configured in this way, the center position of the mounting table 21 and the transfer position in the transfer machine 12 are determined. The deviation between the axial center position of the arm 16 and the position where both are completely aligned is ±C/C/ in the X-axis direction.
2, the transfer position in the X-axis direction is determined to be appropriate. The value of C is determined when the transferred object 3 held by the transfer fork 17 at the tip of the transfer arm 16 is transferred onto the 3-place table 21 by lowering the elevator 15, and when When the object 3 is picked up by the transfer fork 17 as the elevator 15 ascends, the condition is set such that there is no unnecessary contact between the object 3, the mounting table 21, and the transfer fork 17.

Further, on the upper surface of the main body 20 of the drag vehicle 2, there are light emitters 32, 32, 32 used for positioning the transfer in the Y-axis direction. These light emitters 32, 32.32 are mounted on three mounting tables 21, 21, 21, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.
It is fixedly installed near the corner on the front side in the direction of travel on the side away from the transfer machine 12, and projects light vertically upward. Transfer positioning in the Y-axis direction is performed using the light emitters 32, 32, 32 and the light receivers 62, 62.6 attached to the sensor stand 6 in correspondence with these light emitters 32, 32, 32, respectively.
2 and a light shielding plate 17a fixed to the tip of the transfer fork 17 of the transfer machine 12 as follows. Light receiver 62,6
2.62 is mounted at a sufficient distance above the drag wheel 2, with the light-receiving surface facing vertically downward, as shown in FIG. When the conveyance vehicle 2 correctly stops at the regular stop position, the corresponding light emission f
f1532, 32.32 in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, and substantially the entire amount of the projected light from each light emitter 32 is received by the light receiver 62 facing each other. As described above, the transferred object 3 is transferred between the transfer device 12 and the transport vehicle 2 by extending the transfer arm 16 of the transfer device 12 in the positive direction of the Y-axis. The light shielding Fj, 17a is used when the transfer fork 17 at the tip of the transfer arm 16 reaches a predetermined relative position in the Y-axis direction with respect to the mounting table 21 due to the extension of the transfer arm 16. As shown by the dotted chain line, it is positioned so as to block the optical path between the light projector 32 corresponding to the mounting table 21 to be transferred and the light receiver 62 facing thereto. The light receivers 62, 62.62 transmit signals corresponding to the respective light reception levels to the control computer 5,
The control computer 5 determines whether the transfer positioning state in the Y-axis direction is appropriate based on these signals. This judgment is
This is performed based on the fact that when the light blocking +ff 117a is located on the optical path between the light emitter 32 corresponding to the predetermined mounting table 21 and the light receiver 62 facing thereto, the light reception level of the light receiver 62 becomes small. . The determination accuracy at this time is affected by the fixing position accuracy of the light shielding plate 17a.
The fixed position was determined based on an experiment in which the transfer arm 16 of the transfer device 12 was extended and contracted with the carrier 2 placed at the regular stop position, and the changes in the level of light received by the light receiver 62 were examined. Make fine adjustments.

Transfer positioning in the Y-axis direction is not limited to this method, and can also be performed in the same manner as positioning in the X-axis direction. In this case, a sensor equipped with a light emitter and a light receiver, such as the transfer position sensor 61, is fixed on the top surface of the carrier 2 instead of the light emitter 32, and a mirror similar to the positioning cooler 31 is installed. , with the elongated direction of the mirror surface set as the X-axis direction, it may be fixed to the tip of the transfer fork 17 instead of the light-shielding plate 17a, so that light emitted from the former and reflected light from the latter can be captured. It goes without saying that a sensor may be fixed on the transfer fork 17 side and a mirror may be fixed on the conveyance vehicle 2 side.

The procedure for carrying out the method of the present invention in the unmanned conveyance system configured as described above will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 showing the operation contents of the control computer 5.

After the control computer 5 confirms that the conveyance vehicle 2 has stopped in front of an appropriate transfer station 1 based on the information transmitted from the conveyance vehicle 2, it starts the transfer positioning operation according to the method of the present invention, First, it is determined whether the stopping position of the drag vehicle 2 is appropriate. As described above, this determination is made based on the light reception result of the stop position sensor 60, and if the stop position confirmation mirror 30 is as shown in FIG. /2, and ±8/2 in the Y-axis direction.
If the stop position is within the range of 2, it is determined that the stop position is appropriate. In addition to this, the light emitted from the light emitters 32, 32, and 32 for positioning determination in the Y-axis direction is transmitted to the respective light receivers 62.
, 62, 62 is also checked, and this result is also used to assist in determining whether the stop position is appropriate.

The above A and B are determined based on the stopping accuracy that can be performed by the general transport vehicle 2, and if the stopping operation of the transport vehicle 2 is performed normally, the result of the above judgment should be appropriate. However, if there is an abnormality in the running state of the transport vehicle 2, it may be determined that the transport vehicle 2 is not appropriate. If it is determined that the next stop position is still inappropriate, an operation command is issued to a predetermined alarm means to notify the operator of the occurrence of an abnormal situation by generating an alarm.

When the stop position of the transport vehicle 2 is appropriate, the control computer 5 issues a movement command to the cart 13 of the transfer @ 12 in order to move the transfer machine 12 in the X-axis direction.

This movement of the trolley 13 is performed at a high speed until it reaches a predetermined reference position, and thereafter at a low speed within a predetermined movement range based on the detection result by the transfer position sensor 61. It will be done.

The reference position is defined as when the transfer vehicle 2 is correctly stopped at a regular stop position, and the axis of the transfer arm 16 is aligned with the mounting table 21.
This is set for each mounting table 2L2L21 on the basis of a distance of -A/2 in the X-axis direction from the center line of the table. Further, the movement range is a range A in the positive direction of the X-axis. That is, both the reference position and the movement range from there are set based on the size A of the stop position confirmation mirror 30 in the X-axis direction. As mentioned above,
The stopping position of the ocean transport vehicle 2 is determined to be appropriate when it is within the range of ±A/2 in the X-axis direction with respect to the normal stopping position, and therefore, the stopping position of the marine carrier 2 is determined to be appropriate when it is within the range of ±A/2 in the X-axis direction with respect to the normal stopping position. In the low-speed movement range of the loading device 12, the loading device 12 and the loading table 21
A correct matching state is always achieved between the two. Transfer machine 1
The alignment in the X-axis direction between the axial center position of the second transfer arm 16 and the center of the mounting table 21 is detected by the increase in the output level of the transfer position sensor 61 as described above. The detection is carried out within a range where the distance does not exceed A, and when this detection is made, the trolley 1
3, a stop command is issued to complete the transfer positioning in the X-axis direction.

Note that if the positioning in the X-axis direction is not performed within the movement range, the process returns to the stage of high-speed movement of the cart 13 and repeats the above steps. After this repetition, if the same result occurs again, an operation command is issued to a predetermined alarm means (not shown) in order to notify the operator of the occurrence of an abnormal situation by generating an alarm.

After completing the positioning in the X-axis direction in this way, the control computer 5 starts the transfer positioning operation in the Y-axis direction using the same procedure. An extension command is issued to the transfer arm 16 in order to move the transfer arm 17 in the positive direction of the Y-axis toward the mounting table 21 to be transferred. This extension of the transfer arm 16 is performed at high speed until the transfer fork 17 reaches a predetermined reference position, and thereafter, the extension is performed based on the detection result by the light receiver 62 corresponding to the mounting table 21. This is done at low speed within a predetermined range. The reference position is -B in the Y-axis direction from the position where the transfer platform 17 and the mounting table 21 are correctly aligned in the Y-axis direction when the conveyance vehicle 2 is correctly stopped at the regular stop position. The transfer arm 16 is at a shortened position by /2, and the movement range is Y
The range is B in the positive direction of the axis, and both are set based on the dimension B of the stop position confirmation mirror 30 in the Y-axis direction. As mentioned above, the stop position of the transport vehicle 2 is determined to be appropriate when it is within the range of ±B/2 in the Y-axis direction with respect to the normal stop position. A position where correct alignment in the Y-axis direction between the two positions is realized is always within the low-speed movement range of the transfer fork 17 that occurs within the predetermined range from the reference position. The alignment of the transfer fork 17 and the center of the mounting table 21 in the Y-axis direction is as follows:
Since this is recognized by the decrease in the output level of the light receiver 62 as described above, the control computer 5 issues a low-speed extension command to the transfer arm 16 within the range where the extension length from the reference position does not exceed B. The signal is emitted until the output level decreases, and when this is detected, a stop command is issued to the transfer arm 16. Through this series of operations, the transfer machine 12
Transfer positioning in the Y-axis direction between the transport vehicle 2 and the transport vehicle 2 is performed. Note that if the positioning is not performed within the movement range, the process returns to the stage of high-speed extension of the transfer arm 16 and repeats the above steps. After this repetition, if the same result occurs again, an operation command is issued to a predetermined alarm means in order to notify the operator of the occurrence of an abnormal situation by generating an alarm.

After the transfer and positioning in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is performed in this manner, the control computer 5 issues a transfer command signal to the transfer machine 12, and causes the transfer machine I2 to carry out the transfer operation. This transfer operation is performed by lowering the elevator 15 when transferring the object 3 from the transfer machine 12 to the transport vehicle 2, and when transferring the object 3 from the transport vehicle 2 to the transfer machine 12. As described above, this is performed by raising the elevator 15.

Next, the control computer 5 controls each mounting table 21 of the transport vehicle 2.
It is checked whether or not the transfer has been completed for each of the mounting tables 21, 21, .
When the transfer to No. 21 and 21 is completed, the operation according to the present invention is suspended until the next stop of the transport vehicle 2, and other control operations such as travel control of the transport vehicle 2 are performed.

It goes without saying that the means for determining the suitability of the relative position of the transfer machine 12 with respect to the stopped conveyance vehicle 2 is not limited to the one shown in this embodiment, and the configuration of the transfer machine 12 is also the same as in this embodiment. It is not limited to what is shown in the examples.

〔effect〕

As detailed above, in the method of the present invention, after the transport vehicle stops in front of the transfer station, the transfer machine, which is equipped at the station and originally has a movement function for transfer, moves between the transport vehicle and the transport vehicle. Accurate positioning for transfer is performed based on the detection result of the relative position between In addition, reliable transfer positioning is possible without the need to excessively increase the accuracy of the stop position of the transport vehicle, and there is no generation of dust due to contact between the transfer machine and the transported object, making it suitable for use in unmanned transport systems in clean rooms. The present invention has excellent effects, such as being able to perform the following steps.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the implementation state of the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view showing the implementation state of the method of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing an example of a transfer machine. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing an example of a transport vehicle, FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a mirror for detecting the stop position of the transport vehicle, and FIG. 6 is a mirror for detecting the relative position of the transport vehicle with respect to the transfer machine. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for carrying out the method of the present invention. 1...Transfer station 2...Transportation vehicle 4...
Travel route 5... Control computer 6... Sensor stand 12... Transfer machine 13... Trolley 16
...Transfer arm 17...Transfer fork 17
a... Light shielding plate 21... Mounting table 30... Stop position confirmation mirror 31... Positioning device - 32.
...Light emitter 60...Stop position sensor 61...
・Transfer position sensor 62... Light receiver

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transport vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route and automatically stops at a predetermined stop position on the route, and a transport vehicle that is installed at each stop position facing one side of the transport vehicle. equipped with a transfer station,
When transferring a conveyed object between the two by operating a transfer machine equipped at the transfer station so as to be movable in two directions parallel and perpendicular to the traveling route, the transfer machine with respect to the conveyance vehicle A position detecting means is provided for detecting the appropriateness of the relative position of the transfer device in each of the two directions, and after moving the transfer machine to a predetermined position set according to a detectable range by the position detecting means,
A transfer and positioning method for an unmanned transport system, characterized in that the process of moving and positioning the transfer machine based on the detection result of the position detection means is performed in each of the two directions.